Black Canary #1

Brenden Fletcher and Annie Wu put a new twist on the long-running fishnet-clad hero in Black Canary. Looked at after reading, it’s a terrific choice, but not one I would have ever expected.

Here, Black Canary is the name of a touring rock band. The blonde on the cover is D.D., a fighter with a mysterious past neither her bandmates nor we know anything about yet. It’s a great idea to give her some female compatriots, since she’s previously been a loner or defined through her relationship with Green Arrow (nowhere to be seen here, although there is a hint of a past marriage). And casting her as a singer ties into her vocal powers in a realistic fashion.

It’s confusing and mysterious and something I want to read more of. Wu’s art is edgy and scratchy, well-suited to the story of a scrappy road band playing grungy clubs. The images are allowed to tell the story on their own at key moments, a sign of confidence I liked. This feels really new and interesting.

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6 comments

That past marriage that’s referred to might be to Kurt Lance; their tumultuous relationship was part of a surprisingly long-running background plotline in the New 52 Team 7, Teen Titans, Suicide Squad, and Birds of Prey books.

It sounds like a fun new take on the character, but Black Canary was not lacking for female companionship in Birds of Prey, nor was she a loner when she was in charge of the Justice League ( although I did not care for the direction they took with that), so I’m a bit puzzled by some of your comments. She has not been an appendage to Ollie for over a decade.